Aberdeen Artists Society, one of the country’s longest-established artist-led membership organisations, today celebrated its return to Aberdeen Art Gallery with the launch of an exhibition of almost 300 works by 178 artists.
The exhibition was officially opened Arthur Watson, Past President of the Royal Scottish Academy and one of the founders of Aberdeen’s Peacock Visual Arts. The engaging and diverse exhibition of drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, prints, photography, jewellery and video has been selected from around 500 works submitted by artists from across the UK. It is being presented for the first time in Aberdeen Art Gallery’s new BP special exhibition galleries. The exhibition had been due to take place in 2020, following the Art Gallery’s landmark redevelopment, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was presented online that year.
Judges Ade Adesina RSA, Joe Fan RSA, Martin Stevenson and Martina Camatta awarded several prizes totalling £4,000. The judges were unanimous in their selection of the Aberdeen Artists Society First Prize (£1,000), which was awarded to Aberdeen-based artist Mark McCracken for his portrait entitled ‘Annie’.
The exhibition includes an ‘In Memoriam’ tribute to Mr Norman A Matheson MBE (1932 - 2022). Norman Matheson had a brilliant career as a surgeon and researcher at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A talented watercolour painter, he was an Honorary Member of Aberdeen Artists Society, and the originator of Grampian Hospitals Art Trust, along with Ian McKenzie Smith, Arthur Watson, Andrew Dewar, Alexander Fraser, Donnie Ross and others.
Donnie Ross, President of Aberdeen Artists Society, said: “After a break during the redevelopment of the Art Gallery and the Covid-19 pandemic, we are delighted to be presenting our 2022 exhibition in this beautifully re-imagined exhibition space. We continue to live through extraordinary times, but the spirit of humanity continues. Human creativity burns ever more brightly, and our 2022 exhibition presents an enduring illumination from the combined light of 300 creative minds.”
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor Barney Crocket, said: “Aberdeen Artists Society and Aberdeen Art Gallery enjoy strong bonds and shared history. Since Aberdeen Art Gallery opened in 1885, the Society has regularly held exhibitions at the Art Gallery. We’re delighted to welcome the Society back and visitors are in for a real treat with this wonderful and diverse selection of almost 300 artworks which is beautifully presented in the new BP special exhibition galleries. I congratulate the Council of Aberdeen Artists Society, all the prize winners and exhibiting artists.”
Mark McCracken said: “I am delighted to win this award and become part of the Aberdeen Artists Society’s list of winners. To be back in the beautiful Aberdeen Art Gallery is an inspiration to every artist given this opportunity. This is my most personal piece of work, and to share it with my daughter Annie is an honour.